


Did You Hear My Lonely Call?

by pagsywagsy



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Forgiveness, Ikki is a good sister, i'm not entirely sure what this is tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 16:42:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29404998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pagsywagsy/pseuds/pagsywagsy
Summary: The mourning dove's call is sad and lonely as it sits, waiting for its other half. It takes a conversation with Ikki and Kai turning up before her to make Jinora realize that she doesn't want either of them to be lonely.
Relationships: Jinora/Kai (Avatar)
Kudos: 12





	Did You Hear My Lonely Call?

**Author's Note:**

> The idea of this came from this [list of February prompts](https://creativepromptsforwriting.tumblr.com/post/641910583165353984/february-prompts-word-prompts-to-use-for)
> 
> 2\. birds

The mornings in early March were chilly and damp. Bitter cold, if you asked Jinora, but she still sat on the front steps of her home with a warm cup of cocoa in her hands. The steam swirled and quivered in the slight breeze and it brought a smile to her face as she imagined dancing - twirling - just like the steam. She wanted nothing more than to move and dance like the wind.

The front door clicked behind her, followed by the creaking of the screen door being pushed open. A heavy weight fell onto her shoulders, and the blue and beige afghan that usually adorned their couch appeared in her vision. Quickly, Jinora wrapped it around her body.

"You're gonna catch a cold sitting out here in just leggings and a sweatshirt, you know?" Ikki chastised, sitting beside Jinora with a huff and wrapping a white blanket tightly around herself. "We have a performance in less than a week. If you get sick, dad will have an aneurysm."

Jinora snorted at that. "You're just worried that dad will make you dance with Meelo instead."

The exaggerated groan from Ikki lifted Jinora's low mood. "God, I hope not," she complained and buried her face in the blanket. "Meelo's too wild for this performance and besides," Ikki lifted her head and bumped their shoulders together, "I'm not ready for the lead in this. I need _at least_ another _two years_ of training."

Humming, Jinora wondered about that. Sure, Ikki was hyperactive and spent more time talking than practicing sometimes, but she was talented. Ikki could easily take Jinora's role in the dance and do it more than justice, and it saddened Jinora to hear her sister put herself down like that. "You'd do wonderful," she said, smiling at Ikki.

A pout formed on Ikki's face as her cheeks reddened in the cool morning air. "Well," Ikki grumbled, gathering herself after Jinora's praise, "I'd much rather perform with you than Meelo any day."

They both laughed at that and fell into a comfortable silence. Ikki curled herself into Jinora's side and Jinora let her head fall against her sister's. Slowly, the sun continued to rise - chasing away the bitter chill - and the songs of birds could be heard as the world awoke around them. Above, a mourning dove, perched on the telephone wires, sang its sad song.

"Were you think about Kai?" Ikki eventually asked. "You always get a bit sad when you think of him."

Leave it to Ikki to see through her. "A little," Jinora admitted.

Jinora missed Kai dearly. He hadn't come around since her dad snapped at him during a practice routine. Jinora didn't blame him for storming out. Her father had been the one to recruit Kai in the first place but then placed unnecessary pressure on the untrained boy.

Jinora remembered her dad saying that Kai had unlimited potential. She just wished he'd been kinder to Kai. Then maybe he wouldn't have left.

"He'll come back around." Ikki sounded so sure, but Jinora... not so much.

"How do you know?"

Ikki snickered as she sat up. "Because," the 15-year-old's eyes glittered in excitement, "he's totally in love with you."

Jinora laughed and hid her face behind her mug. "Ikki! What are you talking about?" Kai? In love with her? Please...

"Don't laugh!" Ikki slapped Jinora's shoulder playfully. "You just haven't seen the way he looked at you when you weren't looking! But, of course, _I_ was. I know these things! He's totally in love."

"Mhm." Jinora rolled her eyes fondly. Ikki's antics made her smile even if her ideas were ludicrous at best. Maybe Ikki had been reading too many romance novels lately. That would surely explain things. Too bad Jinora's love for tragedies made it difficult to share in her sister's ideas.

Jinora lifted her eyes to look up at the lonely morning dove but stopped at the sight of the boy standing at the end of the sidewalk. "Ikki," Jinora whispered, breathless, "can you go inside?"

"What?" Ikki's shrill voice told Jinora that she was offended that her sister didn't want her company, but Jinora couldn't respond. Her eyes remained on Kai, who stood - looking horribly uncomfortable - not twenty feet from her. Jinora heard Ikki's sharp intake followed by a low, "I _knew_ it."

The next thing Jinora knew, Ikki was scrambling to her feet and disappearing into the house. It left her and Kai alone, or as alone as two people could be with the nosy family she had. Jinora wouldn't be surprised if they were all eavesdropping behind the door or watching from a window.

Cautiously, Kai approached, stopping three feet from her. "Hey, Jinora." Jinora smiled when she noticed that he was having a hard time meeting her eyes. "Can I... uh, can I sit?" he asked, his nerves showing in the way his hand rubbed the back of his neck.

"Of course." Jinora motioned to the now empty spot beside her.

Kai sat down with a small huff. Jinora noticed the way he wrung his hands together as silence settled around them. But she knew it wasn't her place to break it this time. This time, it was Kai's turn to speak.

"I want to apologize for walking out," Kai mumbled.

It wasn't difficult for Jinora to hear the unspoken 'on you' because that was exactly what he'd done. He'd walked out on her. The upcoming performance was supposed to be for _them_ \- not her and Ikki - until Kai had had enough of her father's constant criticism. Only half of which had been constructive and Jinora had had a few words with her father after that.

Jinora was torn. She wanted to forgive him but she had also been dreadfully hurt when he'd left her. Dancing was everything to her and to suddenly find herself partnerless was difficult at best. Yet, at the same time, she couldn't find it in herself to blame him.

"I can't say it's okay," Jinora admitted, "but I'm glad you're here." She offered him a small smile. "Does that mean you'll be coming back?" She missed his lighthearted personality, and his jokes did make the long, grueling practices more bearable.

Kai's fingers stilled and he finally lifted his head to meet Jinora's eyes. She was the worry and fear as clear as day. "Would you even have me back?" he whispered.

How could she have forgotten? Kai was not used to having someone's forgiveness or maybe even second chances...

The mourning dove's coo sounded louder and it pulled Jinora's eyes away from Kai. The dove seemed so lonely sitting there upon the wire with no companion. The sight solidified the decision she was already coming to. She didn't want either of them to be like that. Even if they were just friends, it was better than being alone.

And yet, she couldn't stop herself from saying, "that almost makes it sound like we're together." A small chuckle followed her words as she tried to make it as lighthearted as possible, and not like she was terrified.

"Well," Kai began, voice sounding strained to Jinora's ears. "We could be?" he asked but quickly followed with, "if you wanted to that is!"

Unable to help herself, Jinora laughed when she looked back at Kai. She had imagined various scenarios in which Kai had asked her out but none of them were like this. She had always expected him to be brave and maybe even a little cocky... but this gentle, unsure side of him was welcomed in Jinora's book.

She tightened her hold on the blanket and asked, "are you asking me out, Kai?"

With high-strung nerves, Kai's laugh came out piercing and terse. "Depends on your answer?"

Unbelievable, Jinora thought as she realized that Ikki had actually been right. Her eyes flitted up to the mourning dove once more and smiled when she noticed that there were two birds now sitting and huddled close upon the wire. The sight quelled her nerves and she took it as a good sign.

"My answer," she said slowly and to maybe tantalize Kai a bit, "is yes, we could be."

A grin spread across Kai's face, but before he could respond, they heard Ikki's excited screech from inside the house, _"I knew it!"_

**Author's Note:**

> I saw a mourning dove sitting by itself on the wires outside my apartment. It sounded so sad and lonely and I thought, "wouldn't it be nice to find your other half?" Then for some odd reason, I thought of Jinora and I always thought her relationship with Kai was cute so I tried something different from what I'm used to. 
> 
> I did age the characters up a little. So in the last season of Korra, Jinora is only 14? She seems much more mature than that. So, I made her 18, Ikki 15, and Kai 18.


End file.
